Dame Samantha's Rotes
As a Magistrae Scholar--a Master--in the Order of Hermes there are many whom suspect that the Dame would wield hundreds of Forces rotes. They would be very surprised to learn that instead she prefers the Sphere of Mind. Be that as it may, the following is a list of the Dame's Forces rotes. The Peach Tree Kata: Forces 1: While performing this slow and meditative kata, Dame Samantha is able to sense the movement of forces around her. She picks up the patterns of all a manner of forces and can pinpoint their exact point of origin, how they are being formed and manipulated, and if a force is being prepared by another mage to be utilized. This effect is coincidental. Leopard Sight, Forces 1: By tapping this rote the Dame is able to see in even complete darkness as if it were the middle of a bright and sunny afternoon. This rote is Coincidental. Windmill Kata, Forces 2: By throwing herself into a spinning motion, the Dame is able to deflect thrown and missile objects. She could, if she wanted, deflect bullets as well but so doing makes the rote Vulgar. Because of the plethora of martial arts films flooding the market since the Seventies, this rote is Coincidental. Double Palm Strike, Forces 2: By performing a double palm strike on a foe, Pandora is able to fling the foe backwards several feet. For each success she rolls, Dame Samantha sends the foe backwards five feet. Because of the plethora of martial arts films flooding the market since the Seventies, this rote is Coincidental. Spinning Evasion, Forces 2: Utilizing this rote the Dame is able to use a swift series of ducks, evasions, back flips, and forward rolls in order to avoid incoming damage. The Forces effect actually ensures that the energy of the attack is deflected, but because of how the rote is performed the effect is entirely Coincidental. Each success she scores adds 1 die to her Dexterity+Dodge roll. Rice Paper Walk, Forces 2: Tapping this rote allows the Dame to run across very narrow surfaces such as telephone lines, ropes, and even across small bodies of water without fear of falling. The effect is Vulgar. Leopard's Step, Forces 2: With this rote active, Dame Samantha completely eliminates any sound of her movement. Her footsteps are completely silent and her clothes don't rustle or swish. Each success she rolls takes one die off of any attempts to locate her by sound. The Dame is really quite fond of using this rote to move around The October Chantry and sneak up behind her Chantry mates so that when they turn around she is right there, hopefully startling her fellow and giving herself a good laugh. Tiger Claw Fist, Forces 2 + Life 3: An exceptionally dangerous rote, Dame Sam utilizes this rote to rake her fingers across an opponents face to blind them, or grab joints to dislocate them, or snap bones. The strike inflicts Aggravated damage which means even Garou and Kindred can be killed or injured by it. Because of the plethora of martial arts films flooding the market since the Seventies, this rote is Coincidental. Fist Gesture, Forces 3 + Prime 3: When utilizing this rote, Dame Samantha shakes her fist at a distant enemy and inclicts Aggravated damage. Although the effect itself is invisible, the idea of a tiny woman causing someone's spleen or heart to burst with a gesture is just too impossible to accept no matter how good a martial artist they are. The effect is Vulgar. Stone Ox, Forces 3: By dropping into a low solid stance, Dame Samatha taps this rote to absorb and deflect all manner of incoming damage, even bullets. Each success she rolls subtracts one health level of damage from the attack. Naturally, this rote is Vulgar. Shattering Grasp, Forces 3 + Matter 2: A move made famous by Jet Li in Lethal Weapon III, Dame Samantha quickly reaches out, grasps a pistol, and causes it to come apart in the user's hand. As impressive as the move is, it's a Vulgar effect. Storm of The Century, Forces 5: With this rote, Dame Samantha is able to conjure up ferocious and dangerous storms consisting of heavy sheets of rain, lightning strikes, and gale force winds. By applying Matter she can also create immense hail, or create ice storms. If she taps the rote during a normal storm season then the effect is Coincidental; otherwise the mgaick is quite vulgar. Next: Dame Sam's Life Rotes.